Sam "The Jet" Jethroe. Now that certainly is an eye-catching name, wouldn’t
you agree? However, I can honestly say, that I had never heard tell of the
man. I’m willing to bet that many of you are in the same boat.
Well, folks, Jethroe was an oldtime ballplayer who passed away
recently at the age of 83. And to be sure, Sam had an interesting stint in the
major leagues. Mind you, his time in the “bigs” was short, but nonetheless,
sweet, indeed.
Jethroe’s first year in the majors was 1950. Interestingly, he was 32 at
the time which is quite old for a fellow to be making his big-league debut.
But Sam was a black man, and back then players of that race were few and
far between in the world of major league baseball.
Actually, until Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier three years
earlier in 1947, blacks weren’t permitted in the majors. Instead, the finest
African-American baseball players plied their trade in the Negro Leagues,
and Jethroe spent seven seasons in that loop with the Cleveland Buckeyes
where he compiled a .342 lifetime batting average.
In addition to being a fine hitter, Sam was swift on the basepaths. He
led the league in steals in 1944 and ‘45, thus the nickname “The Jet.”
In 1949, the Boston Braves (now the Atlanta Braves) took notice of
Jethroe’s excellent skills and signed him to a contract. He spent that season
with the club’s top farm team and stole an incredible 89 bases.
The following year Sam finally got “the call.” Yep, at the ripe old age
of 32, Jethroe became the first African-American to perform for the Braves.
He batted .273 that season with 18 home runs, 58 RBIs, scored 100 runs and
had a league leading 35 stolen bases. For his efforts Sam was named the
National League Rookie of the Year, becoming the oldest to ever win the
honor.
The next season was also a good one for Jethroe. He hit .280, slammed
18 homers, knocked in 65 runs and once again led the league in stolen bases
with 35. But vision problems caused Sam’s batting average to slip to .232 the
following campaign. Unfortunately, from then on it was all down hill for
Jethroe. Aside from a two-game stint with Pittsburgh in 1954, Sam never
again played in the majors.
Like I said, Sam “The Jet” Jethroe had a catchy name to go along with
a short but sweet big-league career.
» John White writes a weekkly sports column for the New Waterford Community Press.
» More submissions
Posted July 9, 2001.
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